Twas Beauty
by windscryer
Summary: Shawn is a man of many words, but even he knows that sometimes less is more. Established!Shules.


I have been listening to the soundtrack for BBC's Merlin. On there it has this song (well, a chunk of a song anyway). I call it _The Love Theme for Arthur and Guinevere_ because anytime they get all angsty and smushy and/or start snogging, this plays. AND IT IS EPIC IN A VIOLIN-Y SORT OF WAY.

Anyway, this story has nothing to do with Merlin. I was just listening to that song while I wrote this. After listening to it ALL. DAY. LONG.

It makes my heart explode. In a good way. ;_;

For my Lu on the anniversary of her birth. *GLOMP* I LOVE YOU, HONEY!

Disclaimer: I WOULD BUY THE RIGHTS TO THAT MUSIC AND USE IT IN THE SHOW IF I OWNED IT. AND IT WOULD BE HEARTBREAKINGLY ROMANTIC.

* * *

Music floated out of the room behind him onto the balcony where he hid, accompanied by the soft hum of chattering people, punctuated by the occasional laugh. Shawn blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair, eyes drifting up to the stars above. His other hand crept up to his neck, fingers twitching to loosen the black bow tie that clung to his throat and made him feel he was wearing a collar like a well-trained dog.

Not that he thought anyone who knew him would say he was 'well-trained'.

He snorted and lowered his hand without touching the torture device, clutching the cool marble to keep it there. Showed what they _really _knew then, because he certainly wasn't here tonight of his own choice.

Well, not really. Ish.

He heard the sharp clicking of narrow heels on the floor and closed his eyes as he inhaled. The breeze had just turned and now brought an exotic flowery smell to his nose. He knew they were orchids because Gus had told him what to say at the florist's shop, but other than that he would have been hard pressed to identify them. Well, before tonight anyway. They were rapidly becoming his favorite flower.

"Shawn?"

He turned and smiled. "Hey, Jules."

She stepped up to the balustrade he was standing next to and leaned forward to rest her crossed arms on the polished surface. Neither said anything as she just breathed the cool night air and he watched her out of the corner of his eye.

Her hair had been drawn up in a sweeping, silky, curled and swirled up-do... thing. It was sophisticated and chic and when she'd pinned his orchids into it just made it perfect. He was torn between not wanting to mar the perfection of it by touching it and simultaneously wanting to bury his fingers into it. His hand rose of its own volition and he had to consciously redirect it to her bare back instead, though that held its own temptations. A dark wine-red dress hugged her curves in all the right ways and had made him swallow rapidly more than once this evening.

He opted to do the one thing he _knew_ she wouldn't mind and slid his hand up to her neck to toy with the dangling catch of her pearl necklace. He'd given it, and the matching earrings that dripped from her ears, to her for their last anniversary and the brilliant smile she'd given him had more than made up for the missed smoothies it had cost him.

She shivered and he wasn't sure if it was the breeze that had kicked up or his fingers on her neck, but either way it had her straightening and moving closer to him, sliding smoothly under his arm and tugging his hand around to rest on her stomach, covered by her own.

She restlessly toyed with the ring on his finger, spinning it around the smooth groove it had worn into place.

He smiled and bent his turned head to press a kiss to the skin of her shoulder, following it up with one to her neck, then her jaw, then her cheek. She shifted at that point and the last one ended on her lips, quickly deepening beyond a mere brush, her fingers stilling as her hand clutched at his.

It was neither a desperate kiss, nor a lustful one. They still had their fair share of those, but he'd found with time that some of their kisses had tempered.

Their kisses now were the sure, steady promises of a love that was meant to last.

Or at least, that's how that one romance novel she had put it and he sort of thought it sounded nice. He hoped their love was meant to last anyway, because he really didn't know what he'd do if one day he looked at her and saw a stranger looking back like with his parents.

Now the kiss became a little more desperate, a rush of old fears rising in his chest. His free hand came up to her neck, thumb stroking along her jaw as he turned slightly to more fully face her.

She then proved once again that if anyone in this relationship was psychic it was her, because she deliberately slowed down the kiss, her free hand coming up to cover his and bring it down to that space between their bodies where you could feel both their heartbeats. His was racing in panic but hers had a steady, if quickened, quality to it that spoke only of the thrill she felt in his arms.

His heart gradually slowed to meet hers and she smiled and broke the kiss, withdrawing just enough to look him in the eyes.

"I love you, Shawn Spencer," she said. "Nothing is ever going to change that."

He sighed and bent his head to rest against hers, bringing their entwined hands up to kiss her knuckles. "Love you too, Jules," he said, and the sheer vulnerability in those words had her kissing him again, determined to show him that his fears were ungrounded.

An embarrassed cough interrupted them moments later, but they were in no hurry and ended the kiss on their own slow terms.

They turned together to look at an embarrassed Lassiter and smiling Gus.

"It's time," Lassiter said without making eye contact and then hurried back inside. Gus just grinned at his friends and followed.

They eased apart slightly and Juliet smoothed her hands over his shoulders and down his lapels. She smiled at him. "I am so proud of you." One last peck on the cheek and she turned to walk in, tugging him along behind.

Shawn could only grin stupidly and follow, knowing that the award he was about to receive was nothing compared to the one he'd just gotten.

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I'd love to know what you guys liked and didn't like. Thanks for reading!


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